The End of the Beginning

As we roll towards Cape Spear, the most eastern point in North America, there is a lot going through my mind. It seems so long ago Dad and I dipped our tires in the Pacific Ocean to start our journey, yet so many of the days are still fresh in my memory as if they just happened. Even as I write this final recap, it’s tough to sum up the entire trip. We’ve seen so much, met so many people and pushed our bodies and minds to an entirely new level, leaving the task of getting it all written down and doing every moment justice is near impossible.

When I think back even further to all the things that happened to our family to lead us to this point, it’s truly overwhelming. That line from Forrest Gump keeps replaying in my mind, “You’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on,” and for each of us who are part of this ride that phrase takes on its own meaning. Whether it was the financial and physical hardships we had to overcome, or the changing personal relationships with the people we left at home, we put a lot of miles between us and the past. We set a monumental goal and we are only miles from achieving it. Surely each one of us has changed on some level, I’m just not sure I know quite how just yet.

One of the most common questions we’ve got along the way is, “What has been the best place you’ve seen?” Seems easy enough but I assure you, there is no easy answer. How do you compare the pure bliss of riding through the desert in the sunshine on 5A towards Kamloops with the sense of accomplishment you get summiting Roger’s Pass? Can one possibly rank the feeling of a perfect descent with a sweeping view of Lake Superior going into Montreal River versus the awe inspiring scenery of Gros Morne National park in Newfoundland? For every diverse climate we’ve ridden through in our glorious country, there is a day that could be listed among our best. Here’s my best attempt, in no particular order, at a list of our top rides

·      *Merrit to Kamloops – riding along the quiet highway 5A was the day I truly fell in love with my new Trek 5.2 Madone. Rolling hills through the desert climate with beautiful lakes along side us brought back the pure joy of riding a bike.

·      *Rogers Pass – Pat and Dad climbed one of the toughest passes in the Rockies bordered by head high snow banks and rain and wet snow falling from the sky. Just witnessing this incredible riding by those two makes this a highlight for me.

·      *Riding into Calgary – Nothing makes you feel like a big shot more than having the Calgary police block an entire lane of the Trans Canada Highway including every on and off ramp so you can ride your bike into town with 30 supporters. The reception we received at the Boys and Girls club was an unforgettable moment. I only wish every person could experience that to understand how truly special the Boys and Girls club is.

·      *Riding into Brandon – The prairies were supposed to be boring but in reality they were anything but that. The vast open skies inspire a sense of awe and wonder and with the wind at our back we covered a massive 360km in no time at all.

·      *Lake Superior Provincial Park to Sault Ste. Marie Just like the prairies, we hadn’t heard too many positive things about Northern Ontario. To our pleasant surprise, riding along Lake Superior was both challenging and beautiful. With rolling hills that added up to enough elevation gain to rival the Rockies and unbelievable views of the largest of the Great Lakes, this ride was one of my most difficult and favorite rides of the trip.

·      *Ontario Small Towns – I’ve driven the 401 between Ottawa and Toronto hundreds of times but until this ride most of the small towns were nothing but names on a highway road sign. Discovering how beautiful these towns was like finding a small treasure in my own backyard.

·      *Kingston Parade – Seeing a town come together to support a cause like Kingston did for us was one of the most special moments of the trip. Huge thanks to Rick Smith and everybody who arranged a full parade into town complete with military band, fire trucks, local hockey players, mounted police, war veterans and hundreds of people.

·      *Ottawa Reception – Coming home is always special but riding right onto centre ice at Scotiabank Place to the incredible reception the Senators put on was amazing. The plaque signifying June 4th, 2012, as "Brad Marsh Day" will always have a special spot in the Marsh household. 

·      *Highway 132 to Riviere-du-Loup – This place is almost indescribable. The majestic St Lawrence River winding alongside me as I rolled through beautiful French Canadian towns will never leave my memory. That road seemed to be made just for me, and might be the best cycling road in Canada.

·      *Epic Day – When Dad set out for “Epic Day” from Truro, Nova Scotia towards North Sydney, I was fast asleep. He started as the sun came up and we rode well into the dark of night. Our first major day with all 5 of our riders and three support cars. It was a new personal longest ride for almost all of us and even with that, our totals were still over 100km short of Dad’s ride. As our friend and support car driver, Johnny Barrett said, “I can’t believe what I just witnessed, that’s absolutely incredible.”

·      *Gros Morne National Park – Riding in Newfoundland you truly get the feeling that you are discovering another world. All we needed was Dr. Allen Grant there and I would’ve believed we were entering Jurassic Park. The climbing here is incredibly difficult and the boys pushed hard to conquer the overwhelming landscape. The Viking Trail gets Pat’s vote for the best cycling road in Canada.

Obviously, I could go on for days about the incredible rides we’ve had all across Canada. All I can say is that our country has so much to offer and every person needs to see as much of it as they possibly can. As we approach the end (surely another day I’ll never forget, no matter how many celebratory beers we have on George Street), I turn my thoughts again to how I’ve changed. This trip has been every bit as challenging for me mentally as it has been physically and it is still hard to put it all in perspective. When I get back will things be the same? Do I want them to be the same as they were? Part of me worries that I won’t be able to fit back into my former lifestyle, flawed as it may have been. It may not be a bad thing but after all this transient living, I’m hoping I can settle back into a little bit of normalcy. For personal reasons, I’m not sure that it will be possible but after this trip but I know I can handle anything thrown my way. As much as our journey is coming to an end, it is only one chapter in our lives. We’ll all get home and keep on going. The next challenge will be set and the next goal will be in our sights. Life keeps on going, 90 days at a time.

Erik Marsh (co-pilot and son)

Sault Ste. Marie and the Power of Lake Superior

'Friends' along the way!

We had initially pegged this section of our tour as 1500 km of boredom and we couldn’t have been more wrong. This rugged part of the Canadian Shield has been difficult and challenging but above all, beautiful. Our ride yesterday took us through the scenic Lake Superior Provincial Park and up and down a lot of rugged climbs. As we rolled into town with my legs burning from all the climbing, my thoughts turned to our days in the Rockies. Were those days this hard? Have we climbed like this before?

As soon as we got in I checked my trusty Strava cycling app and learned that in 135km I had climbed over 1 200 meters. After some clicking around I discovered that’s not far off the amount of climbing Pat and Dad had covered from Revelstoke to Golden in BC over the infamous Rogers Pass. I was surprised yet it did seem appropriate. Rogers Pass was the final and most difficult section of the Trans Continental Railway to be completed and the ground we just covered near Lake Superior was the final and most difficult section of the Trans Canada Highway to be finished. Crews had such trouble forging the way through the dense forest and rock that the final stretch of highway wasn’t even paved until 1967. For all its hardships however, cyclists are rewarded with breathtaking views of Lake Superior and the various coves and bays along the shoreline.

The storied Lake Superior is massive. The world’s largest lake by surface area, biggest of the Great Lakes, it stretches on beyond the horizon as if you’re looking across the ocean. I passed the Chippewa River and for the rest of the day I had Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” in my head. While I tucked into the breathtaking descents that seemed to go right into the lake before turning at the waters edge I kept hearing the line, “Superior, its said, never gives up her dead.” Needless to say, I took extra care to keep my tires on the road and the bike upright at those spots. I learned later that the reason they say the lake “never gives up her dead” is because the natural water temperature is so cold that a body in the water sinks as opposed to eventually floating as would happen in most other bodies of water.

New friends Matt & Berny are biking & camping. Check them out at
 www.berny-matt-velocanada.blogspot.ca

The big lake they call Gitchee Gumee has served as an incredible backdrop to our riding in Northern Ontario. As we’ve travelled west and south on Highway 17, one look to the right over the blue water glistening in the sun or lush forest growing atop the rugged rock faces is a great reminder of the natural beauty of our country. It can be enough to put that little extra into your legs to get you over the rolling hills or that little push you need to throw it into a bigger gear to race around the corner to see what vista might be there to greet you. Northern Ontario has truly been a highlight of our trip so far and I won’t soon forget the unbelievable rides we’ve had in this great part of our country. 

Erik (Team Marsh Co-pilot) 

Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Everywhere Else In Between

Canadians are known around the world for being friendly and accommodating and the last few days we’ve seen where that reputation was born.

Brad with Kelly from United Cycle &
Stanley Cup replica that lives outside the shop

We left the outskirts of Edmonton with the intention of riding hard to get to North Battleford Saskatchewan but a strong headwind changed our plans for us. We ended up in a town called Maidstone. The small town has only about 1000 residents and as we rolled into the only hotel/bar in town, the Flyers game was on and before long we had a few locals chiming in on their thoughts on the series.

Words of encouragement from former NHL'er and Sens Alumni Shaun Van Allen here 

Leaving the outskirts of Edmonton we knew we had the prairies in front of us with not much else but livestock and the odd small town to break the monotony of the long road and open fields that lay ahead. Highway 16 between Edmonton and the Battlefords is a far cry from the familiar 401 with its rest stops spaced every hundred kilometers or so and millions of people living within spitting distance of the road. Our intention was to ride hard over the flat terrain and make it to North Battleford for the night.

As we set out on the road however, a hard cross wind and head wind changed our plans for us. Dad was battling hard through the wind a few hours in when I tried to find a place for us to go to the bathroom and grab a sandwich. I rolled into Mannsville and after a few circles around the tiny town I was cursing and frustrated, as there seemed to be nothing around. Finally I walked into the grocery store. The woman at the cash noticed the RV I just parked and asked where I was headed. I filled her in on what we were doing and without batting an eyelash she asked, “Well can I give you twenty bucks for your cause?” I gladly accepted and walked out thinking maybe these tiny towns aren’t so bad.

Erik reaches Manitoba!

As the grueling day went on ad nothing seemed to go right (i.e. missing dad on the road and rode for an additional 30km needlessly), the unrelenting wind did not sympathize with our struggles. We rallied in Lloydminster (an interesting town that straddles the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan, also where Scott Hartnell is from –“Go Flyers”) and decided to ride to Maidstone, SK, catch the end of the Flyers game and tuck in for the night as that seemed to be the only town with a hotel from there to the Battlefords.

All things Saskatchewan! 

Another 60km and one flat tire later, we arrived in Maidstone and were somewhat skeptical of what the night would hold for us. The bar downstairs doubled as the front desk for the hotel and the sign on the front door said, “Please remove all muddy and oily boots” and the “curtain” in our room was a Saskatchewan Rough Riders flag with a Pilsner beer logo on the other side. We dropped our stuff and decided to grab a bite to eat downstairs. Though we were a little apprehensive at first, small town courtesy surprised us again. Everyone in the bar was friendly, the food was awesome (I never thought I’d have amazing Spicy Korean BBQ Pork in the prairies!) and aside from the outcome of the Flyers game, our night was actually really awesome.

Brad & Erik visit the North Battleford BGC

Maidstone to North Battleford was a quick day with a more favorable wind. The Boys and Girls Club gave us a warm reception and we had a great road hockey game in the warm afternoon sun. The clubhouse was an old building built in the 1900’s. They have plans for a new clubhouse built on the same site but they need to raise a lot of money in the next few months in order to break ground on the new structure. I can’t stress enough how important this is to the kids and how much of an impact this club makes on the community in North Battleford. This is a perfect example of why we’re doing what we’re doing. Please donate to the North Battleford club or the club in your community as every club, whether they are building a new clubhouse or not is in desperate need of more resources to continue to make an impact on the lives of kids across Canada.

Brad takes the stage at a Saskatoon
Challenge Party!

From North Battleford we headed to Saskatoon for a busy day with an interview for CTV, a visit to the Saskatoon BGC and a Challenge Party at night. The Saskatoon BGC is in a pretty rough party of town but the kids were just fantastic. It really goes to show that when given the opportunity, kids can really set themselves on a great path for the future. In the evening it was unbelievable to see so much support from the Visalus community as we shared our challenge with them. Company leader, Jason O’Toole, truly went above and beyond and personally donated $5000 to our ride.

Regina was the next stop on our Prairie tour. We visited our fourth BGC in as many days and the kids really had us running! In the evening I met up with an old friend from university and told him all about our ride and we caught up over a few beers. It was nice seeing a familiar face in a place I’ve never been before. From Regina we had a long ride out of town across a border and another time zone for our longest ride yet.

The Prairies so far have shown us that even though the terrain is flat, the days can still be harder than the mountains. We’ve learned that no matter how small or rough around the edges a town may be, the people are genuine and friendly, eager to make you feel at home and lend a hand. We’ve seen a side of Canada often skipped by the rest of the country on their way to the mountains out west or the big cities in Ontario. People may not think much of Saskatchewan and their crazy Rough Rider fans but we’ve truly enjoyed this part of our journey and I won’t hesitate to come out to the Prairies in the future.

Erik (Team Marsh Co-Pilot)

Pedal to the Medal for the Boys & Girls Club

Team Marsh View of the Open Road.

When you left for work today, we were riding.

When you went on your coffee break, we were riding.

When you went for lunch, we were riding.
When you sat in traffic coming home from work, we were riding.

When you were doing the dishes after dinner, we were riding. 

360km and 9 hours 45mins by Team Marsh today Regina, SK to Brandon, MB.

Why I Hate Edmonton

Brad Marsh with Flyers Alumni

Some feuds are hereditary. Look around at many of the conflicts around the world today; they go back decades or even centuries. The sentiments are passed down so much that each new generation can feel the exact same as their ancestors, even if the initial conflict was far removed from their own lifespan. This is the case with me and Edmonton.

           

Growing up in the early nineties, when I was in my hockey-card-collecting prime, there were a few players coveted most by Canadian kids. Eric Lindros was just starting his career and his reign as the Captain of the “Legion of Doom” line. Mario Lemieux was coming off winning back-to-back Stanley Cups and despite injury problems, putting up insane points per game. Toronto fans worshipped Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour and every goalie had a replica of Martin Brodeur’s mask. Of all those players, however, there was still one player who was everyone’s undisputed favorite, Wayne Gretzky. Like any little boy, my list of favorite hockey players would probably look pretty similar. I vaguely knew my Dad played against all of these guys but I never considered he might have a personal opinion of any of them. As I started to grow older and talk about hockey with my Dad, it became apparent things were different any time Gretzky or the mighty Oilers of the eighties came up.

Watch and listen to Brad reminisce about playing against Wayne Gretzky (now Rexall Place) here.

Dad played on a young but talented Flyers team from 1982-1988. They had gritty scorers like Tim Kerr, future Hall of Fame defenseman Mark Howe, and great goal tending from the late Pelle Lindbergh and after that, Ron Hextall. They were talented, tough and in the mid-eighties they were a force to be reckoned with. In 1985, the young Flyers battled their way to the Stanley Cup finals against the reigning champions, the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers were a dynasty in the making, Gretzky, Kurri, Anderson, Messier, Coffey, and Grant Fuhr all would eventually end up in the Hall of Fame. The Flyers lost the series in 5 games.

In 1987, the two teams met once again in the finals. Both teams had essentially the same rosters, the only major difference being the rookie Ron Hextall, in nets for the Flyers. The Flyers had a long road to the finals playing 26 of a possible 28 games and injuries to key players were taking its toll. The Flyers battled their way to game 7 in Edmonton. Each game had been tight and going into game 7 it was anybody’s series to win. Despite another hard effort and an incredible game by Ron Hextall, the Flyers couldn’t finish off the Oilers dynasty. Though they had come so close to hockey’s Holy Grail, they left Edmonton empty handed. Dad lost two Stanley Cups at the hands of the Oilers and after that he never had another shot at the Cup.


Watch and listen here to Brad share memories of Game 5 in 1985 and the fight with Don Jackson which saw all of Don's equipment end up in the stands and Brad's mom hearing some choice 'words' come out of her son's mouth (watch that here) as well as a chat about his second visit to the Stanley Cup final in 1987.

The more I learned about the Stanley Cup, the dynasties and the history; the more I learned about winning and losing, the more I came to realize what that must have meant. Millions of kids around the world play hockey on the street or on the outdoor rink dreaming of playing in the NHL and winning the Stanley Cup. Twice my Dad was actually playing for the prize, and twice came up just short of fulfilling that childhood dream so many of us have. 

Marshys Weather Network & Map Update Powered By Vi

Could Brad have another career in front of the camera???

You decide! Watch here and leave a comment letting Brad know what you think of his presentation and what you think his closing statement should be should he get a regular t.v. gig!

Between Calgary & Edmonton or A Rock & A Hard Place

Former Flames Captain Brad 'Marshy' Marsh

Phase one of our trip is over. We worked hard to get through the mountains, the snow and the rain. We had a great time at the Boys and Girls Club and we got ourselves off to a great start with our goal of raising money and awareness for the Boys and Girls Club. Now we start phase two and it’s just Dad and I and the prairies ahead of us. We upgraded our support van to an RV (believe it or not its cheaper than another rental car) and now we’re faced with the challenge of conquering the most monotonous part of our beautiful country.

           

Not your average size 'bike riders' Brad & Erik

After an amazing reception in Calgary and an enjoyable day off with Pat and his fiancé, Annie, we re-evaluated our plan of attack. Dad is holding up pretty good but his Achilles tendon is inflamed and his foot is swollen up like a football. We’ve been asked by Trek, our bike sponsor, and the Edmonton Boys and Girls Club to swing through Edmonton on our tour. Considering its out of the way and keeping in mind Dad’s injury, we opted to drive up to Edmonton and give the tendon an extra day to heal before we continue from there. We’re looking forward t making an appearance at United Cycle in Edmonton, which should be lots of fun. It’s a bit funny that we’ll be making an appearance on behalf of Trek, and any avid cycling fan would see why. The average pro cyclist, the kind of guy they’d normally have making these appearances, is about 5’8” and 140lbs. Dad and I are both over 6’3” and tip the scales at 230lbs and 220lbs respectively. In the context of a pro peloton we’d not only be slow but also gigantic. I often wonder what it’d be like to meet Lance Armstrong. He’s a man so huge in stature yet he’s only 5’9” and 153lbs.

We’re looking forward to starting Phase two of our trip but there are definitely some mixed feelings about our starting point of Edmonton. In short, we hate Edmonton but that’s another story for another time…

Erik